5 comments about The Essential Barack Obama: The Grammy Award-Winning Recordings.

1. These audio books make for informative and pleasant listening while I am driving,working around the house or walking around my neighborhood. Barack Obama's narration is clear, interesting and expressive. I would recommend it to anyone.



2. The Grammy award winning recording of the Essential Barack Obama did not disappoint me at all. I wanted to read his 2 books and thought since he is such a great speaker with a dynamic speaking voice,I would get the recording of his books.I sit back,close my eyes and listen to his words and the ways he intended them to mean.I never bought an audio book before,so this was quite a treat to enjoy.



3. I bought this CD for my daughter as a classroom tool and she did use it, along with web clips of the other presidential candidates, in her English class. She tells me that Obama is articulate and has a beautiful voice so this CD is a joy to listen to -- so much so that she won't let me borrow it and the multi-disc set is packed away and going to Europe with her this summer. There are abridged versions of both his books and an excellent introduction on these discs. When I bought this, I didn't realize it was such a bargain. Highly recommended. I guess I'll be buying my own.



4. These two books together are a wonderful look at Senator Obama's life and his character. The "Dreams From My Father," reflects the character-building life that he led, thank to his mother, and grand parents, as well as the intelligence and standing of his father, who died when Barack was young. You get a great sense of his concern for mankind and his desire to help others.
   
   "The Audacity of Hope," describes his feelings about the pressures and potential pitfalls of running for and holding public office. He tells how he was able to keep to his ideals and the teachings of his mother and grandparents throughout his political career.



5. There is a reason that Barack Obama is supported so strongly by very educated people - this book. This is a front row seat to a sincere and admirable agenda. Be an informed voter, read this book - or listen to it on tape. He is funny and thoughful, and very sincere.

5 comments about An American Family: The Buckleys.

1. Reid, once again, captures the truth of what our Founders sought. This time, through the personal story of his family, An American Family. What a gift he has given us!



2. This is a wonderful book. It shows us the joy,and sometimes sadness,which comes from being in a strong family.It also gives us wise political and cultural observations about what has made the USA great.It portrays the power of love. As WFBsr said, love for "God, Family,and Country in that order".In doing all this, it makes clear the profound good brought to this earth by disciplined,loving parents. It is full of awe inspiring history and stories about this great and hugely talented family. I laughed frequently,experienced sadness occasionally, and was inspired always. WFBjr was one my American heroes since my grad school days in Politics. I own more than 50 of his books and have cherished them all. Reid's new book will be a wonderful addition. I hope it can serve as powerful encouragement to all who love the American family and America itself.



3. I have been fascinated with the Buckley's since I first discovered a copy of National Review at a teenage friend's home in the 1960's. Throughout the succeeding decades I gobbled up anything Buckley. I must admit after reading Reid's book, that they are a different type of Irish American especially when juxtaposed with the Kennedy's of Massachusetts. However when you combine a heritage of Wild West frontier, New Orleans, Swiss heritage, oil money with a big heaping teaspoon of old fashioned Catholicism you get the Buckley's. You'll read this book with a feeling of nostalgia for a time and place that has disappeared forever just as the New York City of my childhood is long gone as well as the parents and grandparents who were once part of that world. Mr. Buckley writes with this nostalgic tone while at the same time still railing and kicking about what is wrong with this modern world. What would his beloved parents think of this non-republic USA, gay marriage, inarticulate President, Brittney Spears et al.? Alas, the Buckley's and their kind s we will see no more and what a treasure they were while these two generations graced our world. Thank you Mr. Buckley for a delightful glimpse of your wonderful world and a description of the family values that made this a great country.



4. Well, here I am, at the opposite end of the political spectrum of the Buckley clan, and I must say I enjoyed Reid's family history very much.
   
   "Boy, can those Catholics write."
   
   I heard Reid Buckley in an interview on "Morning Joe" (if you don't watch "Morning Joe", you're missing a great early morning show!) a couple of weeks ago. I really didn't know much about the Buckley family - aside from their conservative magazine and other "nefarious" enterprises. But Reid made his family sound so interesting, that I bought his book. And enjoyed reading it.
   
   It's good to learn about the "other side", and enjoy myself while doing it. By the way, Reid, hopefully we liberals can start to straighten out the problems you conservatives have put us in for the last seven years.
   
   But, of course, I did come away from reading your book with the feeling that you don't quite approve of the Bush years any more than I do. George Bush is not the "true" conservative you and your family are. There's a lot of lamenting to be done...on both sides.



5. I just finished reading this poignant tome and am quite surprised to find that this review shall be its first within this arena. I scarcely imagine that any hastily-crafted lines that I manage to put down can match the warmth, the elegance and the humility with which this book is written. Certainly, there are many other avenues with which to gain insight into the lives that were, and remain, the Buckley. "Miles To Go" comes to mind first, along with Priscilla's memoirs from The National Review days a close second, followed by the many other words/works of William Buckley, Jr. and Christopher. Nonetheless, this is a different take and, although there were never any doubts to begin with, upon its completion one is left with the unequivocal sense of a family firmly rooted in all that has come to be colloquially know as "family values," and one which served as a bastion of Conservatism, duty and honor. It's a fine portrait that has been crafted here, and one which will futher serve to solidfy the warm admiration of William Buckley, Jr. and his family.
   
   Highly recommended - for Buckley-ites, as well as non.

No comments about Machiavelli's Shadow: The Rise and Fall of Karl Rove.

5 comments about Mao: The Unknown Story.

1. 1st of all i think that the book was great. 2nd of all id like to point out that previous comments about men wanting to sleep with Mao is disgusting. In some countries you could be seriously punished for acting gay. 3rdly i think most of the reviews saying the book was bad are extremely baised. The people writing them "Worship Mao" and "Only read one page to tell book was bad." You definetly shouldnt allow these people to influcence your opinion about the book they are total Newbz. Mao killed thousands of people. If some of you remember in the early 50's the "Great Leap Forward." Mao killed millions in a forced famine. What a great guy to want to sleep with.



2. I bought this book because I was hoping to read a new account of one of history's most glossed over mass murderers, but I was very disappointed by the lack of simple foot or end noting of the authors' sources. One can not write a book that calls into question the veracity of some of the most prominent events and people of the 20th century and then not offer actual evidence. There are many better books than this about Mao that do offer sources. Read those instead.



3. I am blown away by the amount of information about Mao and how much damage he did to China. This book is very long and people with short attention spans should avoid it. Despite being listed as 864 pages, the book is only about 621 pages. The rest of the pages are the bibliography, sources, and interview credits (except for mainland China which they didn't name for obvious reasons).
   
   The book is of course, anti-Mao. Given that leftists and liberals try to portray Mao as a good guy, it is a welcome breath of fresh air.
   
   Mao's whole life is chronicled here, from birth to death. His rise to a communist leader, the fight against the Nationalists, his family, his victories and defeats, dealings with the Soviets, his attempts to make China a nuclear world power, his disastrous policies that lead to 35 million Chinese starving to death. The book shows Mao was a psychopathic dictator, and even people within his own communist party were opposed to him, especially during the Cultural Revolution and the Great Famines that Mao caused. I have a new measure of sympathy for the Chinese people who suffered so much under Mao.



4. This is a horrible book. I am surprised that the author has a doctorate degree yet her logic is totally problematic and her sources are questionable.
   
   Firstly, as some reviewers have pointed out, the logic of the book is absurd: I want to prove Mao is evil --> I will collect facts to prove it, whether or not they are supportive. A lot of times the author is forcing some facts to prove her negative opinion about Mao although they don't prove anything.
   
   Secondly many of her facts are unfounded as well --- you don't know exactly what the sources are and can't verify them. I myself have a doctorate degree --- you have to footnote your sources so that peers can verify them. Rather than a biography based on rigorous research, the book is filled with bias, guess, misleading and fabrication, which are already proved by other scholars.
   
   The author was a "red guard" herself and had the privilege of studying abroad as one of the first group of students sponsored by the Chinese government when the cultural revolution ended. I am puzzled what had turned her into the other extreme --- she hates Mao so much that she even loses the ability of unbiased independent thinking, a critical attribute of scholars. In summary I can't agree more with a statement made by another review --- this book "uses propaganda to fight propaganda".



5. I dont like Mao, even hate him.
   
   But, reading this book makes me disappointed - I found that the way the book is made follows very Mao' style as described by the authors themselves.
   
   Some history facts are completely black-white overturned, for example,
   1. the india-china war: please refer to Mr. Neville Maxwell's India's
   China War.
   
   2. the writer stated: Mao summoned his former wife, which deteriorated
   her metal illness.
   The fact is that, someone else revealed Mao's whereabouts to her
   because of sympathy. And Mao punished the man just because of this. It is clear that there is no reason for Mao to make such an appointment, can not be more inscrutable.
   
   3. the nuclear weapons:
   why make the promise that China will not use it first? isnt it completely defensive?
   Then the authors' fiction on Mao's nuclear ambition is not justfiable.
   
   The authors' bias, and efforts of pulling everything evil and making everything evil about Mao can be sensed sadly here. (Not sad for Mao, but for such a kind of writing.)
   
   
   What to say? Read more - this is my sincere advice.

5 comments about Obama: From Promise to Power.

1. It is always difficult to write a biography when the subject is 46 years old. It is exponentially more so when two autobiographical works have already been published beforehand.
   
   In Obama: From Promise to Power, David Mendell gives us his vantage point of the presidential candidate and the book derives its strength from Mendell's journalistic coverage since the beginning of Obama's run. Mendell book reads like an extended newspaper profile, covering the major bases without injecting much opinion or going into excessive detail. It is also driven by interviews and quotes of what other people think of Obama, and relatively little from what Obama thought of himself. Through interviews with Obama's sister and grandmother, we learn about his upbringing and the time he spent in Hawaii, from their point of view. Similarly, Obama's time as a community organizer in Chicago is described by Jeremy Kellman, an organizer Obama worked closely with and helped shape some of his ideas. Mendell describes a couple encounters with Obama when he was still an unknown and, one could say, unguarded. These one-on-one conversations between journalist and yet-to-be politician is one thing that gives this book a refreshing perspective. Mendell was one of the first reporters to follow Obama in Chicago, and thus lends the book a revealing perspective on this complex man.
   
   The book has its shortfalls. It may go unsaid, but the book almost begs the reader to read Obama's two autobiographies, Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope. In the first half of the book many quotes from Obama about his early life are directly lifted from Dreams. Also, From Promise to Power is skimpy on Obama's life changing time he spent at Columbia reading and developing his mind. One would like to hear more about it. Also, Obama's time at Harvard Law School is condensed into a short chapter. One would think these formative years helped solidify Obama's thinking about the world. Yet, there are few quotes from Obama himself about them. One must turn to Dreams to learn more. Mendell's book falls somewhat flat in the final third, when Obama rises to national fame. Mendell strains to give his experience following Obama around, while describing the significance of major events such as the 2004 speech at the national convention and Obama's return to Kenya. Much of this is simple narration of events, his experience following Obama with the scores of other reporters and, I think, rings hollow in terms of content compared to earlier chapters. Of course, much of this can be excused since those events are recent and this biography is purposefully unfinished.



2. The author does what any self-respecting journalist would do - paint an accurate acount, as well as it can be done this early in the game. This book may seem completely positive on Obama at first, but, pay attention, and you will be rewarded with unbiased reporting. Some statements that appear as digs, are actually nothing more than honest observations. I liken this "biography" to the Boston Globe's biography on John Kerry. It was fairly positive, but exposed what there was to expose, such as certain character flaws (and historical accounts), etc. Nothing too damaging, but puts things in 3D.
   
   It is balanced. And what comes forth is the impression that Obama is nearly as good as he expresses, but is far from not being a politician. The obvious implication being, that Obama is not impervious to his own message of change. Obama has tactics, folks. He isn't a saint. Still, you do get the impression that he's a smart, intuitive, ambitious, and nice guy.
   
   I recommend this, along with "audacity", for an appropriate picture of the man Barack Omama. Just, when you read "audacity", know that you're getting BO's talents on full display, and not an authoritative look at the man. Politicians are politicians - you know, some more gifted than others. It's always a lesser of evils scenario. Always.



3. A very good read. From his early ambition of running for Mayor of Chicago to his "warp-speed ascension" to a presidential contest, "Obama' provides fair reporting of the man and a revealing look at the political machine surrounding him. I found this third-party look at the candidate to be a very useful balancing tool in my own research for November.
   Thanks, Mr. Mendell.



4. As an Obama supporter, I was interested in finding out more about "what makes him tick". I read some of both of Obama's own books, but the perspective of a third party has always appealed to me. I found this book to be well written and easy to read. I look forward to the author's new book on Obama coming out soon, in which I hope he'll pick up where he left off.



5. A good read, and useful supplement to Obama's own writings, fleshing out some of his background and how he developed his character over the years.

5 comments about A Remarkable Mother.

1. Very quick service. I got this book for my mom for Mother's Day and she loved it. I recommend it to anyone and use Amazon.



2. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was lovingly written by a son who adored, respected, and loved his mother very much. Lillian was such a force in the White House, and it sounds like everyone from every country who ever met her just loved being with her. She's was a woman that we could all learn from....she didn't take from anyone...even the President. The book was inspiring to me...she went into the Peace Corps at 70....enough said....very good book!



3. This was a quick read, but well done. Mr. Carter's mother was definitely her own woman, but Mr. Carter treated her always with respect and love. A great tribute.



4. Loved the book. It was an easy afternoon read. My husband and I took turns reading it to one another while sitting on the dock sipping cold beer. It is one of those days you hold in your heart. Laughed, cried and hated to see the end. Miss Lillian was some kind of woman!



5. I purchased this book for my 86-year-old mother for Mother's Day.
   She said she enjoyed it very much and learned more about Mrs.
   Carter than she knew.

5 comments about Why Women Should Rule the World.

1. I have followed Dee Dee's career since she worked for Bill Clinton, and i find her book funny, and informative. I'm certain that if women ruled the world, we would be in better shape then we are. Thanks Dee Dee for putting my beliefs on paper.



2. I bought the book for my wife, who was complaining about how unfair the world is to women--and quite rightly so. Speaking for myself, I agree with Dee Dee Myers thesis, but it is hidden behind a lot of wonky poli-sci verbiage.



3. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2SW8VFXLFH3QQ Here's my video review. I should warn readers though that Myer's book is more a memoir than an analytical work. Thanks for clicking in, Bernard



4. dee dee myers is brilliant in everyway.the thing that bothers me is women know this.really women knew this for over 100 years or more.im having my daughter and my girlfriends read this cause even though we know everything dee dee is saying.nothing is done and why oh why?i if we women voted to our potentiel wede be running this country rite now.maybee the more women that read this and other books like this they would understand that its not fantasy but fact.women should and will rule the country.its just a matter of us taking back what was once ours and if we do and it shouldnt be to hard im laughing .then it will be the same as now only women will set the laws and that would(have)to be better then what man is doing now.i read somewere on the net oh i wish i could remember her name .women are gaining fast while men are becoming the women of the 1950 s.that is soooo true.read it.see it.hear it.man kind is shrinking at a rate so fast it seems womankind has really already surpassed the still shrinking male role.i remember a long time ago my aunt telling me dont blame the men.we made them.lol yup.now its up to us women to take control.thank you dee dee



5. I enjoyed this book. The beginning starts out a bit angry but she quickly moves into a compelling, interesting, and balanced book about the role of women in helping to change the world. Myers does not disparage men in this book, but rather offers a balanced look at the contributions women have made.
   
   Myers offers a number of eye opening examples of womens positive influence in business, politics, education etc. She speaks to the importance of educating women around the globe. One paragraph reads, "When Larry Summers was chief economist at World Bank, he argued that educating girls probably produced better returns than any other investment in the developed world....If fact, when women's incomes go up, child survival rates improve by an astonishing twenty times more than if a mans income increases by a similar amount....And children's weight measures improve eightfold."
   
   Myers addresses the role of women in the corporate arena. She writes "Women make the vast majority of consumer decisions in this country - by many accounts, more than 80 percent. But we still don't have enough influence at the top of corporations that make and sell those goods and services. True, women now fill about half of all managerial positions, but among Fortune 500 companies, women account for only 16% of corporate officers, 5% of top earners - and an anemic 2% of CEOs".
   
   Myers uses Revlon as an example to illustrate her point. The company is known for making womens products and yet "all of the company's senior managers and all but 3 members of its board were men".

5 comments about First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (P.S.).

1. I read all but a couple chapters of this book on a flight across the US. It is easy reading and I could not put it down. The horrors this author went through will make the reader pause to count his blessings. I think this is a must read for anyone who is unfamiliar with Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.



2. When I started to read the memoir, it was very hard to put down. It is written in first person tense through the eyes of a young girl struggling through the Khmer Rouge insurgency in Cambodia. I am a 1st generation American whose mother grew up in war torn Vietnam, so I had an interest in the Southeast Asian set memoir. Now I am trying to find ones as good as this one, but set in with my mother's experiences. This book was an in depth way to learn about the people & the recent history of struggle which many Cambodian Americans no doubt have also lived through but not spoken of. It really reinforces that family and love are the most important things in life. It's a must read.



3. The book is very well-written. Loung Ung wrote with compassion,spirtual, and horrenic activities growing up under the Khmer Rogue regime. She experiences tortues,stravation, and execution of her parents. This book is very interesting to learn what the author went through live under a horrendous communist movement. The author wrote this book in a sense to give the reader an image on the conflict of war that is going in Cambodia. Readers would not be able to put this book down since it give the readers a hint of life growing up in the Khmer Rouge. Ung had to move from different works camps at a young age, and she experienced a hardship growing up in Cambodia during the 1974 to 1979. Between these two years, she watch baby brother died of stravation and the loss of his parent by the Khmer Rogue. Having to travel a large distance to Vietnam, Loung experience the execution of her people. The book will change your prespective of life and the mistery of what the cambodia people been through during the killing field years. Highly recommened to any type of readers.



4. Some people have criticized this book because they believe some small historical detail might be wrong. I say, who cares about that? The horrors that are described in this book eclipse any small misconceptions or tiny errors in fact. Cambodia's people were starved, enslaved, murdered, and robbed by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge. It's a most outrageous and horrific story, but it was the truth for millions. Miss Ung did an impressive job pulling the story together into book form. My heart breaks for her family and hundreds of thousands of other families there.
   
   This should be required reading for high school students everywhere.



5. Loung Ung does an excellent job of describing what happened to her family growing up in the killing fields of Cambodia under the Pol Pot regime. She is an excellent writer. Although her story is very tragic, it is one that we all should hear. God is truly using Loung's tragic life to create something good and meaningful. Loung is a fascinating person that I feel honored to have met within the pages of her book. Thank you for sharing your story Loung. Your book has changed my life.

5 comments about A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can't Win.

1. Shelby Steele's book is a fast read about the dilemma facing Barack Obama as a contender for our nation's number one position. Obama must deal with the extreme issues facing our nation and the world.....and still deal with the one constant that unfortunately creeps into this nation.....race and religion. Steele leaves you with much food for thought as we attempt to move on as a nation.



2. This book and a recent interview of Hoover institution with the author plus all his connections with the wrong and shady characters proves that he is a man of hoax rather than hope.



3. I picked up this book purely out of curiosity. It was a nice quick read and very insightful. The majority of the book actually explores the "black movement" in America, past and present. It then ties this movement into the role Obama "must" play as a presidential candidate. Mr. Steele is multiracial as Obama is which allows him to explore this topic from a very personal perspective. Whether or not you agree with his hypotheses it is a great book and provides some interesting observations on the challenges minorities face as we enter a new era of racism and assimilation.



4. This book is not about Obama losing because of his liberal/left wing policy position or his lack qualifications and experience. No he will lose, because of race. The author's main insight into Obama's racial/political dilemma is the following:
   Obama can't win because deep down he believes in personal responsibility but he is bound to the "antiresponsibility" (for blacks) left. "Black responsibility is verboten because it snuffs out the market for white innocence." (that black bargainers and challengers can exploit). If Mr. Obama tries to break out of this trap with straight talk about the evils of playing the victim card too many time he could lose votes as rapidly as Bill Cosby lost popularity when he did that.
   To make his black versus white theory work smoothly Shelby Steele portrays whites as one big monolithic group. All guilty of racial injustice. But if the author could bug a "White Barbershop" he would quickly learn that the White Guilty Verdict is not a universally accepted concept. He would hear rejection of this idea of collective white guilt in no uncertain terms.
   He would hear resentment against affirmative action expressed in no uncertain terms. And so on.
   The number of whites who do not buy into collective white guilt and will not be voting for Barack in order to receive from blacks the gift of innocence may be revealed in November. Some of the voting patterns in the Clinton Obama primary contest indicate that it will be a significant number.



5. Shelby Steele gives good insight into why he believes that Barack Obama is a bound man but in fact cannot win the presidency. However most of this book is based solely on the individual opinion of Steele and his ideas about race and how it will eventually play into the election.
   
   Steele has a reoccurring theme regarding race throughout the book. He states that blacks all decide to put on one of two different masks or the white world to see. One is the bargainers mask and the other is the competitors mask. Being African american I can see some truth in this but I think it's unfair to generalize an entire race, with a few exceptions such as the author himself, to fit into one category. Steele believes that if all blacks were being themselves and were without the masks then they would be more conservative.
   
   Going along with the competitive and bargaining masks, Steele also presents to the reader that black voters will only vote for Obama because he is black and they are able to see the challenging side to him. Then he states consistently that the only reason white voters like him and will vote for him is because he is able to mostly wear a bargainers mask. What happens here is Obama subconsciously offers whites forgiveness without them giving him anything, they see this and they flock to him because they see a chance to live up to the expectation of not being racist anymore. They are able to take pride in being able to admire a candidate of another race.
   
   What I don't understand about Steele is why he doesn't see it at all possible for anyone to relate to Obama solely because of his message, ideals, or policy that he plans to put in place. It has to only be because of his race and people wanting to bridge the racial gap.

5 comments about Bobby and J. Edgar: The Historic Face-Off Between the Kennedys and J. Edgar Hoover That Transformed America.

1. It's a well-written, well-sourced book detailing disturbing relationships, among them:
   * The mob and the Mormons in Las Vegas
   * The rum-running "founding father" Joseph Kennedy and his intertwined business interests with the criminal element
   * The at-times destructive relationship of the brothers Kennedy to one another.
   Mr. Hersh's account is high on credibility and readability. However, this is not a book for those who want to swallow the "martyr" myths about JFK and RFK.



2. This primly salacious biography suffers from two conflicting flaws. Writer Burton Hersh seems to know too much about his subjects and is unable to dissever the wheat from the chaff. He seems hell-bent on telling the reader everything about everything, to the point of confusion. Detailing knicknames of mobsters who make cameo appearances in a paragraph or two, for example, blurs understanding rather than clarifying. Burton's quick switching between names hampers understanding as well, with John F. Kennedy switching to Jack and Bobby to Robert to Bob within a few sentences, making it difficult to be sure what character is acting in the play. The overabundance of detail makes for a very tedious read.
   
   Compounding the difficulty is a serious failure in editorial oversight. Misspellings abound, both typographic and the "spellcheck" variety with correctly spelled but incorrect words. Sentence structure is convoluted to the point that necessitates re-reading, parsing and deconstructing the author's intent. A competent editor would have cut a third of the text and imposed clearer chronological threads. History buffs will pick up a few new details and learn more about the sex lives and obsessions of the rich and famous than is particularly useful.



3. For about half the book, I was thinking Hersh did a tremendous job of researching the Mob-Kennedy-Hoover nexus, adding a great deal to what several other books on the subject have alleged.
   
   Then I got to the Kennedy assassination and it became clear that Hersh was simply repeating conspiracy lore and mythology without any ability or perhaps inclination to evaluate the material.
   
   Suspicion is not evidence, and to allege that a lot a strange and suspicious things happened, does not prove that the Mob/CIA/FBI/Cubans were in league to kill Kennedy. A plausible motive is not the same as proof of participation in a conspiracy.
   
   Only one case in point: on page 422 Hersh alleges that the FBI reversed six crucial images on the Zapruder film -- frames 313-319 -- to cover up the fact that there was another gunman (or was it several)?
   
   Does Hersh think that a half-dozen splices can be made in film and not be detectable? Nobody would notice that Kennedy's head, instead of exploding for six frames, would be reassembled? The limo, instead of traveling left-to-right, would be traveling right-to-left for six frames?
   
   This is grade-school stuff.
   
   It is understandable that the FBI would attempt to protect its reputation, even to the extent of altering/suppressing evidence of its incompetence. But to suggest that the FBI had an interest in protecting the killers requires evidence. Conspiracy buffs quote each other as authorities, and eventually create a huge network of myth, aided and abetted by Oliver Stone's bizarre movie (ummm, those were composites characters, was his defense).
   
   In the end, Hersh proves to be so gullible that nothing he wrote in the book can be taken at face value, however sensational -- maybe, particularly if sensational.



4. This book is written in a way where the author NEVER traces his sources back to the original cite. He admits that he takes each source for his book from the LAST place he read it, and does not trace the source back. Thus the book simply cannot be believed. There are many things said in this book that lots of us would like to believe, especially those of us that are conservative and look back at the Kennedy presidency as a fake "Camelot" in every sense of the word. Read it if you like, but beware, I didn't come away from reading the book, some chapters twice, with any assurance that everything in it is true, right down to naming the assassin who fired the shot from the Grassy Knoll, and with what type of weapon and bullet. My guess is that someone else guessed which weapon was used and the author used this as his source. That is, if you believe shots were fired from the Grassy Knoll that killed the President in the first place. The conflict between RFK and J. Edgar was likely real, and I wish someone would write a book on just that subject. Whoever said above that they believed the book exposed the truth has to go back and check every source cited in the book to it's original source and then judge from there.



5. Just finished this book. Interesting reading, but I think the author just puts out every rumor and innuendo ever uttered by anyone, hoping something sticks. The chapter on Oswald and the assassination has bits and pieces of every single weirdo-conspiracy theory around. The author even gives the totally discredited Jim Garrison way too much credibility. That alone should tell one where the author is coming from.
   
   Still, the book makes for interesting reading, at least it balances out that awful Salon Kennedy book, which tries to reinstate the ridiculous "Kennedys-as-virgin-heros-fighting-the-evil-shadow-government" thesis. Two books, which if you average them out, gives you a reasonable assessment of the Kennedys.